"This is not good, this is not good, Your Excellency Gawain" Staulachos rubbed his hands, his eyes were squeezed into two slits by the flesh again, and he didn't know if he said "bad", whether it was for Gawain's money, or Gawain's disrespectful words to the Komnenos royal family.

"I'm not kidding." The expression on Gawain's face was very serious, "It is you, Eunuch Stauracios, who will now tell you the truth, I will soon enter a hundred guli north, and I will not continue to advance, waiting for the opportunity to re-enter the world behind Fort Sophia, that is, your majesty's palace and forbidden land." ”

At this moment, Stauracios's face was about to come out of the water, he seemed to have malaria, his body was constantly convulsing, he never expected that this barbarian commander Aconis would be so contemptuous of His Majesty and the authority of the palace, but he couldn't say anything, the other party was willing to give him real money, and he couldn't get a bribe for seven lifetimes of service in the palace, and if he had any complaints, this unreasonable barbarian would really immediately cut off his fat head and sacrifice the flag, and who would take care of his family at that time, count on His Majesty the Emperor, or the wardrobe manager? It's all wishful thinking.

He was originally sent to supervise the army, but should he be held hostage in turn?

The two stared at each other, and in the end, it was obvious that the eunuch who had extremely selfish desires and went with the flow was defeated. Gawain pushed the money bag down the table with satisfaction, "Muzafiadin, find some delicious estuarine salmon roe, and tender roasted lamb from Cuman, and entertain our honorable eunuch, for if you go to the southern edge of Wallachia, you may not be in good condition to entertain you." With that, the Grand Duke saluted the eunuchs and scribes who were still leaning against the bookcase, and left.

A dozen days later, Sebastoclatt of Fort Sophia angrily threw the petition on the ground, "Gawain is a hundred miles away from here. Set up camp and don't leave? ”

Then, His Excellency the Emperor's younger brother lay on the couch in the mansion, exhaled a long breath, and gritted his teeth, "But His Majesty the Emperor has told you." We are to return to the imperial capital as soon as possible with the main force of the army, and prepare to deal with the Normans of Bohemond. But Gawain is here, then Fort Sophia must leave a considerable amount of military strength to guard, and now at this distance, the cavalry of the Red Hand Brigade on the other side can rush to the fortress in about two or three days, hateful barbarians, scoundrels. ”

Then another herald walked in, saluted, and gave the latest news of the sentry. It was handed over to the emperor's brother Isaac, so the emperor's brother deliberately got up from the couch again, scolded a little Asian dialect again, and slammed the second document on the ground to show his anger, "That guy Gawain, who was not satisfied with the camp, began to follow the crossing of the Morava River. Build a new fort? ”

The generals gathered and demanded orders from Sebastoprat. Whether to use the new victorious army to sweep Gawain's military fort.

"Is it true that bastard of the eunuch Staulajos, whose eyes and mouth are in the midst of his features, just a decoration? Not only did he fail to deliver Gawain's crime of violating the law and self-despotism, but Gawain calmly erected a military fort and concealed it at all. Wait until things settle down. I will tell Your Majesty to blind his eyes with the brightest of Kairouan glasses, so as to vent his anger. Isaac gasped and made a big wish, "Prepare my warhorse." I will go there with the cavalry, and immediately tell Gawain to destroy this place, and there will be no need to send the whole army for the time being. ”

Rolling on the Morava River, not far from the northern crossing, Gawain's military fort was close to taking shape, and he was looking at the scene below with triumph on the high tower of the earthen platform (the supervising eunuch stood beside him with a bitter face):

The whole military fort presents a rectangular style, about four Gustadians in length, about two and a half Gustadians in width, there is a layer of outer fence erected on the flat ground, the pile heads are all sharpened and blackened, the outside is a trench excavated and surrounded, and the spike barb is inserted inside, and only a few wooden bridges are erected on it, controlled by noose pulleys, which can be erected or placed down at any time; In the inner fence of another layer is enclosed, and the foundation below is all high, except for the wooden piles that have been erected, the earth ramparts are made into the shape of slopes, and the top is also filled with pointed piles, which are wound with tribulus terrestris and rattan thorns; In the outer ring were six companies of Greeks, with a company of Italian veterans and a company of craftsmen inside, a company of cavalry stationed in an adjacent sub-fort, and a natural pasture for green on the outside, each arranged according to its flag and belonging.

At the core of the fort are the conning towers, forging workshops, leather workshops and stables, all of which are fully functional. With the full cooperation of the entire Dalian team, and with the dedicated cooperation of the supervising eunuchs, it was quickly completed.

Among them, several powerful catapults and large crossbows were aimed at the ferry, and under their firepower, a luxuriant bazaar was erected, which was also specially arranged by Gawain, and his merchant genes were once again brought to work, and they were all to buy and sell as they were: the Bulgars, Slavs, and Cumans from all over the country came to do business with carts and boats.

Gawain was shrewd, and he stockpiled some of the fine Byzantine gold coins, and small silver coins of Venice and Bohemia, because he understood that these barbarians, who were full of shepherds and farmers, needed these things the most, and then bought honey and timber from the Slavs, and exchanged them for hides and handicrafts from the Bolgars, and sold them to the Cumans in exchange for fine horses and weapons, and many professional notaries of the Brotherhood and the city of Bari carried these coins in the bazaar. Kill all sides in these transit processes. In addition, small caravans of the Venetians, Amalfi, and Barry also traveled far from the trade routes, bringing small but scarce salt, glass, linen, and silk for dumping, and demanding cash transactions, all of which the surrounding villages managed to sell their precious raw materials to summon a few gold and silver coins, which were reversed into the hands of Gawain, and toiled in vain.

Not only that, Gawain also sent the Dalian team and the priests and priests in the brotherhood to preach everywhere, allowing the barbarians to enter the river to be baptized, so as to infiltrate the surrounding area and buy eyes and ears.

In the end, Gawain also gave this military fort a resounding name, "Iron Gate Fort".

Until Isaac. Komnenos fiercely led dozens of cavalry and galloped under the military fort, but the scouts had already informed Gawain in advance.

So the general of the Iron Gate Fort, stretching his waist, calmly led the eunuch to the tower on the edge of the wooden fence, looked at His Excellency, who was riding a horse below, and greeted His Excellency Sebastoprat in a loud voice.

"Gawain, as the commander of Aconis, you've been ordered to go to conquer the remnants of the Tevris, but you've set up a fort at the mouth of the river here, which is simply against the will of His Majesty the Emperor." Isaac raised his whip and rebuked angrily. (To be continued.) )